


The Time Turner

by Hathanta



Series: The Time Turner [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Lighthearted, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-12
Updated: 2013-04-12
Packaged: 2017-12-08 06:52:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/758370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hathanta/pseuds/Hathanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nestled in the box was a small, gold, circular instrument, with a tiny hourglass set into its centre. It was a time turner.<br/>“Perfect,” Sirius breathed. With this he could easily go back and find Remus' present and none would be any the wiser.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Time Turner

Late in the evening Sirius hopped in through the portrait hole and trotted across the common room, waving to the various Gryffindors. He grinned at Remus who was reading by the fire, and bounced up the stairs to the dormitory. It was Remus’ birthday tomorrow and Sirius had his presents all wrapped up in a package in his dorm. James passed him on the stairs and Sirius ruffled his hair jovially.

“Oi!” James muttered something unsavoury and then called up at his retreating back, “You got Remus’ presents ready?”

“You mental? ‘Course I do!” came the shout back at him. Sirius had dropped the package off sometime before lunch. Or was it after lunch? It must have been around then. Although, now that he thought of it he couldn’t remember coming up here around lunch time at all, but then, he was sure hadn’t had the parcel with him in the great hall.... suddenly anxious, he hurried into the dorm and began searching. Frantically he emptied his trunk, stripped his sheets, peered into the darkness under the bed and riffled through his bedside table drawer.

“Bugger.” He sat back on his bed and knuckled his hands into his eyes. Where the _fuck_ had be put Remus’ present? If he wanted to go and search for it now he’d have to use the cloak, and that meant asking James and then Remus might find out. Or he could take the cloak without James’ permission and that meant sneaking around corridors and trying to avoid teachers which was always fun, but again, he’d have to explain it to the others and then Remus would find out that he’d _lost his present._ “ _Bugger.”_

In vain hope, Sirius sifted through the pile of junk from his drawers again with one foot, and as he pushed his shoe into the various items, a small black box fell off the heap onto the floor. He’d stolen it from Filch’s office a few weeks ago but had completely forgotten to open it in the aftermath of _that_ particular prank. Curious, he crouched on the floor, pulled the lid off and sucked in a breath of astonishment. Nestled in the box was a small, gold, circular instrument, with a tiny hourglass set into its centre. It was a time turner. 

“Perfect,” he breathed. Let’s see, he wanted to go back to before lunch, to about when he last remembered seeing the package that had been delivered to him at breakfast. Make it... 11 o’clock. He turned the knob and felt everything rushing forward around him – or what it that he was rushing backwards? Fuzzy shapes of people entered and left the room in double time and he began to feel a bit queasy – but kept his eyes open all the same. And then the world lurched to a halt and he was crouching on the floor with daylight streaming in through the windows.

He straightened. 11 o’clock. That meant ‘past’ him would be in charms. He started toward the door, and then realised it was probably not the best idea to wander the corridors while he was meant to be in lessons and hopped over to James’ bed. He took a moment to mess up the sheets trying to find the cloak before he remembered that James had the damn thing folded away in his bag.

“Bugger.” He said for a third time and scuttled out of the door.

 --

The charms corridor was thankfully empty, but for the muffled sound of Professor Flitwick, coming from a classroom to his left. A classroom, he realised excitedly, that he was sitting in right now. _Time travel is awesome._ He hid in an empty room nearby, leaving the door slightly ajar and wishing he had something to eat. A bit of Moony’s chocolate wouldn’t go amiss now. He watched a fly battling to get out of the window, sighed, and settled down to wait.

A bored while later he finally heard the chaotic sound of his class leaving, and resisted the urge to catch a glimpse of the marauders, waiting until the sound of the class faded before scampering across the corridor and hurriedly hopping into the room. Immediately his legs crashed into something and sheets of parchments went flying into the air.

“Christ! – I mean – _sorry,_ sorry!”

Of course, it would have been that moment that Professor Flitwick chose to leave the classroom.

 “Mr. Black!” squeaked the professor as he flailed a little before regaining his balance, “In quite the hurry!”

“Yeah, I just – um, forgot something,” Sirius looked desperately around the room, locating his desk and, sure enough, there was the parcel leaning against the leg. “Yeah! This –” he jogged over and scooped it up, cradling it like his first child. “Thanks!” Flitwick gave a little “hmmh!” as he gathered up his papers with a flick of his wand and Sirius fled from the classroom.

Ok, now he had the parcel and nine hours left in the day and it was lunchtime. He quickly decided that the kitchens were the best place to hide. He hung a right and then took a short cut through a tapestry of some drunken trolls which led him down a lethally steep staircase to the floor above the kitchens. He made his way down, tickled the pear and entered the busy room. Lunch was in full swing as he arrived, with bowls being replenished and sent back up, empty and half-eaten platefuls appearing on the trestle table in front of him, and dirty dishes being scrubbed and set out to dry. And of course there were house elves everywhere, running back and forth, stirring pots, cleaning plates and generally scurrying around like a purposeful swarm of bees.

“Master Black, what can Dilly provide you with?” a vaguely familiar, brownish house-elf wrapped in a dishcloth spoke from around his knees.

“A chicken leg or something and a bit of bread wouldn’t go amiss. D’you mind if I stay in here for a bit?”

“Please! It is always a pleasure to welcome Master Black into our kitchens, Dilly would only ask that Master Black sit on the side, as we would not want to trip him over in our rushing around.”

“I can do that, thanks Dilly.” The blushing house-elf hurriedly turned away to get the food, and Sirius pulled himself onto a disused counter at the side of the room, making sure the parcel was tucked right beside him. Dilly and two other elves returned a moment later carrying above their heads, a whole platter of roast chicken, a loaf of bread and a goblet of pumpkin juice. They piled it onto the counter beside him and then bowed, beaming at his thanks and scurrying away. Sirius broke open the loaf – it was still _warm_ – and munched on it thoughtfully. He would have to wait here until the other Sirius went back in time again, and then he could go up to the dorm without endangering time by meeting himself. Though he’d have to somehow be in the Gryffindor tower before that, or risk being caught out of bed without the cloak. Maybe he could hide in the loos. Classy.

He was just ripping into a chicken leg when the painting swung open and Peter climbed through. Sirius nearly choked and then dived off the counter to hide behind a crate of apples. He wasn’t entirely sure what would happen if he talked to Peter, but he knew from enough stories that preached never to meddle with time that talking to anyone who knew you was probably a bad idea.  

“Is everything alright, Master Black?” he nearly jumped out his skin as Dilly squeaked from his elbow.

“Er, yeah – no. Actually,” he thought quickly, “I need you to distract Peter while I escape without him noticing. Just give him food – that’ll keep him busy.”

“Certainly, sir!” Dilly curtsied and then trotted over to Peter. Sirius could just about see them over the apples as she motioned him further into the kitchen. After a moment Peter nodded and followed her down the long table.

Sirius hared from the room, heading in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. He slowed before he reached it, took a set of stairs, and then charged into a bathroom and locked himself in a cubicle. He panted for a moment, leaning against the door. So this is what it had come to: travelling back in time and hiding in a bathroom just to please his boyfriend. Remus had better like his present when he got it.

...his present.

Sirius stilled and looked down at his hands. Empty. Idiotically he patted his pockets and then searched the ground with his eyes. He’d left it in the kitchens. With Peter. He could have sobbed.

Time, what was the time? He cautiously opened the door and looked at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes until lessons. Best to wait so that he wouldn’t run into anyone. He locked the cubicle again and waited.

As he heard the last fading steps of the Hufflepuffs, Sirius left the bathroom and ran back to the kitchens. Dilly appeared before him, trilling, “Master Black is back again!”

“Yes, Dilly, I think I left a parcel here – just over... here,” the counter that he had been sitting on was spotless and empty.

“Wrapped in brown paper?”

“Yes!” he could have hugged the elf, “Have you got it?!”

“No, no, no, Master took it when he left.”

“I – no I didn’t.”

“If Dilly lies then she toast her fingers, but she saw Master Black take it with him – Dilly will swear on her dishcloth, if Master Black wishes.”

“No, no – it’s fine.” He wound a hand into his hair and paced a few steps. This meant that – unless Pete had taken it – he must have dropped it somewhere ... he ran back out of the kitchens and retraced his steps to the loos, frantically scanning the corridor with his eyes. Sure enough the package was lying by the side of the corridor just beyond the kitchens. Sirius picked it up and hugged it to him. “I’m never letting you go again,” he muttered to it.

“Never letting _what_ go?” Filch’s voice rasped from behind him.

Sirius turned, shoving the package behind his back, “Nothing.”

“Is that so? And what are you doing down here? Not meant to be in lessons, Black?”

“No, have a free period,” he met Filch’s eye casually with practiced ease.

“Then shouldn’t you be studying? Instead of sneaking around by the kitchens?” The Caretaker’s voice was beginning to get nasty – well, more nasty – and he was leaning forward, bearing down on the Gryffindor, “What’s in that package?”

“Package-? I’m sorry I don’t –”

“Dung-bombs! Fanged Frisbees! Stink pellets! I know you Sirius Black, give me that package and come with me.” He snatched Remus’ present (which contained none of the above) and marched off, leaving Sirius with no choice but to follow him.

They entered Filch’s familiar office and the caretaker rounded his desk, putting the package on top of it and pulling Sirius’ file from his drawers.

“Let me see... let me see...”

Sirius jiggled on the spot as he tried to think up an excuse.

“Ah, actually I have – remedial herbology.  It’s a new thing, I’m just so awful with plants-“

“Eh, what’s that?”

“Remedial herbology.” Sirius over emphasized the words to ensure understanding, “I have it now – in fact you’re making me late, so if I could just take this and-“

“No!” Filch snarled as he tried to grab the parcel, “No, no, you’re not slipping away that easily. You can go to your ‘remedial herbology’, but I am confiscating this package until further notice. Good day, Mister Black.”

Sirius grit his teeth and stalked from the room, aiming a kick at Mrs. Norris as he left. He turned a corner and waited, praying that Filch would leave his office, praying that no-one would see him, and praying that Moony’s present was alright. A while later Filch left his office grumbling and Sirius cautiously peered around the corner.

Mrs. Norris was guarding Filch’s door, tail curled neatly over her paws, and yellow eyes watching the hallway. What he needed was a distraction. Taking a candle from the wall, he transfigured it into a toy mouse and sent it skittering over towards her, just peeping from around the corner. At first she didn’t seem to notice it, but then she suddenly stilled and crouched, haunches wiggling and pounced on it. Or tried to – as she leapt Sirius muttered _“accio”_ and the mouse came skidding toward him, followed by a determined cat. Shit, this wouldn’t do she was coming straight at him. He quickly slipped into a classroom and sent the mouse rolling down the corridor. Once the cat was past him he waited until she was engaged with the toy, before tiptoeing out and sprinting silently into Filch’s office. His eyes scanned the desk. No parcel. He began rummaging through the drawers, heedless of propriety, but his parcel was gone. Completely gone.

Suddenly he heard a distinctly Filch-like yell from altogether too close by and he scarpered, running blindly past some classrooms until he was a good distance from the thieving caretaker. _Where the hell could it be..._ Panting, he leant against a wall in a side corridor, thumping his head softly against the wall behind him, as if that would jog his brain into an answer. And then he realised that under the noise of skull-hitting-stone, he could hear someone’s footsteps coming toward him. He flattened himself against the stonework, hoping it wasn’t someone he knew, hoping it wasn’t a teacher, and hoping they’d continue down the corridor and not choose his turn off. Then the person was walking by and Sirius giddily watched as _he himself_ walked past the exit, not even glancing at his doppelganger - and carrying the package in his arms!

He breathed out a sigh of relief. He had the present. Panic over, all could rest easy, his work here was done. All he had to do now was go back up to his dorm and wait for himself to go back in time. Maybe he’d hide under the bed as a dog. Yes, that was a good idea.

\--

A few hours later Padfoot awoke as Sirius came into the dorm, having just met James on the stairs. He shuffled further back into the darkness under the bed and watched his own feet walk toward him and then kneel by his trunk. He heard himself rifle through the items and then move onto his bedside drawer. He was acting suspiciously like he had lost the present. Again.

“Bugger.” He heard himself mutter. He saw his own foot push at the pile of junk and then he saw a small black box fall to the floor, and it hit him. Of course Sirius didn’t have the parcel – if he did then he’d have no reason to go back in time and there would be two of them stuck in the same timeline. It had been up to him to find the present and get it to the dorm, he thought as he watched himself crouch on the floor.

“Perfect.” He heard himself say, and then he disappeared which, ok, was a little creepy. Padfoot scrambled out from under the bed, emerging as a human again.

Right, so if it was his job to get the parcel he’d have to go back in time again and make sure things played out the right way.

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered and started twisting the time turner. 


End file.
